Veridical perceptions are experiences in which a person sees, hears, or otherwise perceives something when they shouldn’t be able to, given their physical or medical state at the time.
For instance, someone might accurately describe a conversation happening around them while unconscious, or recall details about medical personnel and procedures while clinically dead or under deep anesthesia.
“Veridical” isn’t a word that most people use on a daily basis. In fact, you may have never heard it before. But it’s just a fancy way of saying truthful or genuine. As in, “the patient offered a truthful and genuine recollection of the medical procedure, even though they weren’t awake to witness it.”
Are veridical perceptions the same as out-of-body experiences?
Veridical perceptions are often confused with out-of-body experiences. And it’s an understandable mistake, given how similar these two concepts are. So let’s break these down a little.
In an out-of-body experience, a person experiences the sensation of their consciousness being detached from their physical body. They may feel as though they can see themselves from above, hear things around them, and sometimes even move from between different locations.
But recollections from out-of-body experiences aren’t always accurate, or can’t always be confirmed. With veridical perceptions, it’s important the event is accurate and objectively verifiable. It has to correspond with actual events in the real world that we know for a fact have happened.
It’s possible for someone to experience both an out-of-body experience and veridical perception, but it’s not necessarily common. And while out-of-body experiences are generally common with near-death experiences (or “NDEs”), the same can’t be said for veridical perceptions—they’re more rare and more rigorously examined in research.
What do critics say?
Veridical perceptions challenge mainstream neuroscience by suggesting that consciousness might persist, or at least function, in situations where brain activity is minimal or absent. And that makes the topic somewhat controversial.
Skeptics argue that verification is difficult or anecdotal, or even prone to exaggeration. They attempt to come up with alternative explanations, such as prior knowledge, reconstructive memory, or even unconscious awareness.
But veridical perceptions are highly detailed and corroborated. And the details of well-documented veridical perceptions often poke holes in those explanations, too. How can someone accurately describe a conversation that happened in another room while unconscious? How does “prior knowledge” explain awareness of specific hospital equipment or staff behavior in a facility they’ve never visited?
Veridical Perceptions are just the tip of the iceberg. Explore the extraordinary with IANDS today!
We don’t yet understand what causes veridical perceptions. But they remain one of the most intriguing subjects in near-death studies. And that’s why IANDS supports ongoing research, working to better understand experiences that push the boundaries of science, spirituality, and human awareness.
IANDS is an educational nonprofit devoted to understanding near-death experiences and related phenomena. Our goal isn’t just to better understand NDEs and the concepts surrounding them, like veridical perceptions. We also hope to reduce the stigmas around them and normalize conversations on these subjects. And with your help, we can continue this important work.
Please consider becoming an IANDS member, making a tax-deductible donation, or perusing our Extraordinary Shop. We’d love for you to play a role in our mission to explore the extraordinary!
